Kalgoorlie: Kassim Shannon Edwards jailed for leading police on wild pursuit one day after receiving suspended sentence for aggravated robbery

A Laverton man who led police on a wild chase through the streets of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in a stolen car a day after being sentenced to a suspended prison term for aggravated burglary has been jailed for 19 months. Kassim Shannon Edwards, 28, had already been handed a lifetime driving disqualification when police saw him driving the car on Piccadilly Street on February 5. Edwards “freaked out” when police pulled up alongside him and and initially slowed down. But instead of pulling over, Edwards did a U-turn before driving at up to 110km/h in a 60km/h zone and fleeing into bushland. Driving through a red light at the intersection of Piccadilly and Maritana streets, Edwards went hurtling past the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Health Campus before heading northbound on the Goldfields Highway. Police aborted the chase when Edwards drove into the bush and a through a wire fence. That came just hours after Edwards was caught on CCTV stealing a cordless drill from a car port on Connolly Street and just a day after he had been spared an immediate jail term for an aggravated burglary. Edwards on Thursday faced Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court via video link to Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison and pleaded guilty to six offences including reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, stealing and trespass. The court heard Edwards walked into a Connolly Street property where he stole a cordless drill from the car port just after 9am on February 5. At 7.47pm police, who recognised him from CCTV images of him stealing the drill, saw him driving a Nissan Pulsar that had been stolen in a burglary that morning. Police beckoned Edwards to pull over but he did a U-turn and sped away. With police in pursuit, Edwards sped through suburban streets before heading north on the Goldfields Highway. Police prosecutor Sen Const. Pope said Edwards drove at an estimated 140km/h and briefly on the wrong side of the road before he headed into the bush and through a wire fence, crashing the car. Sen Const. Pope said officers found the car a short time later, but Edwards had fled. Defence lawyer Tanja Cobden said Edwards had not stolen the car, but seen friends driving it and asked if he could have a turn. Ms Coben said when police pulled up alongside him he “freaked out” and egged on by his friends tried to get away. Sen Const Pope said he could not “fathom” why Edwards’ put himself in that situation a day after being handed a suspended term. “I cannot comprehend his mindset at the time,” he said. Magistrate Brie Ayling said her warning to stay out of trouble when she handed Edwards the suspended sentence “clearly that went in one ear and out the other”. Edwards was also fined $800, disqualified from driving for another two years on top of his lifetime ban and was made eligible for parole.